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Dominating Spurs claim fifth NBA championship

SAN ANTONIO—It seems there’s an awfully big window in this neck of the NBA.

The San Antonio Spurs, who hear nearly every season that their window on championship contention is closing, keep beating back time and age and the expectations of others, a remarkable consistency that should be the benchmark for every franchise in every professional sport.

In a thorough decimation of a higher profile, more famous, more glamourous opponent, the Spurs won their fifth championship since 1999 here Sunday night, further establishing themselves as the league’s gold standard.

With a shockingly effective, explosive and delightful offence, the Spurs laid waste to the Miami Heat in winning Game 5 of the NBA final 104-87, continuing a remarkable decade-and-a-half run.

Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, left, is congratulated by teammate Tim Duncan after a big dunk against the Heat during the first half of Game 5 of the NBA finals on Sunday night. San Antonio won 104-87 to eliminate Miami and win the championship.
(David J. Phillip / The Associated Press)

It was the fifth title for iconic coach Gregg Popovich and future hall of famer Tim Duncan, but in typical Spurs fashion it would be folly to suggest it was a victory achieved through individual talents.

Series MVP Kawhi Leonard, just 22 years old, is part of the next wave of Spurs greats and he led the team in scoring, backup point guard Patty Mills hit four three-pointers in the third quarter when San Antonio broke the game open and Manu Ginobili spurred a first-half comeback with 12 of his 19 points.

It was delightful to watch and speaks volumes to the Spurs’ seamless transition from one group and one year to the next. It is a timeless level of success.

“It’s been a long time,” said Tony Parker, who won his first title with San Antonio in 2007 and lost a year ago to Miami. “That’s why I say it’s the sweetest one, because it’s just unbelievable to win seven years ago and be so close last year. It was very cruel, but that’s the beauty of sport. Sometimes it’s tough and sometimes it can be beautiful like today, because it shows a lot of character of the team.”

The win was significant in that it wiped out bitter memories. A year ago, they were within 28 seconds of winning Game 6 and the NBA title before losing that one and then Game 7 to Miami. They had downplayed the revenge aspect of this series since it began, but it was never fully out of their minds.

“I’ve said many times, a day didn’t go by where I didn’t think about Game 6,” said Popovich. “So I think just in general for the group to have the fortitude they showed to get back to this spot . . . speaks volumes about how they’re constituted and what kind of fiber they have.”

Leonard was fully deserving of his MVP win. He blanketed LeBron James as well as any one player can for most of the series, and averaged more than 20 points in the last three games.

He is quiet and reserved and lethal as his team-high 22 points and 10 rebounds in the clincher would prove.

“He walks the walk,” said Popovich of Leonard. “He listens, is a great learner, super competitor and has a drive to be the best.”

The Spurs, who won the last three games by an average margin of about 20 points, took control in the second quarter after a sluggish start. Trailing 22-6 at one point, they had a seven-point lead at halftime and the ultimate outcome felt inevitable.

“Why that happened is because the guys have character,” said Popovich. “They play the game the way we ask them to play it. They don’t get too excited if they’re doing well, and they don’t get too down if things are going badly. They just try to execute.”

The Heat now have serious questions to answer about a roster that was simply unable to keep up with the Spurs in the final three lopsided games of the series.

“They played exquisite basketball this series, and in particular these last three games, and they are the better team,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “There’s no other way to say it. They played great basketball and we couldn’t respond to it.”

The question is: What do the Heat, now 2-2 in NBA finals since the Big Three was formed, do now?

LeBron James, who tried to take over the game in the first quarter but was unable to sustain it, can elect to be a free agent this summer, as can Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. There is no full indication which way any of them is leaning, but it won’t matter unless there are major alterations to the rest of the roster.

“You guys are trying to find answers,” said James. “I’m not going to give you one. I’m not going to give it to you.”

James had 31 points — 17 in a blistering first quarter — but Wade had only 11 and Bosh 13. Ray Allen, inserted into the starting lineup for point guard Mario Chalmers in a move that smacked of desperation, made just one of eight shots. The Heat bench had a grand total of six points through the first three quarters before filing up the stat sheet in a meaningless final 12 minutes.

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